System of atomization and regulated burning of liquid fuels



' F. AL-la LIQUID FUELS SYSTEM OF ATOMIZATION AND REGULATED BURNING OF Filed Oct. 20. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Augo 3i 1926.

' F. W. ALSIP SYSTEM OF {\TOMIZATION AND REGULATED BURNING, o

F LIQUID FUELS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20 1 0 6 17:9

Aug. 31 1926. 1,597,661

. F. w. ALSIP SYSTEM OF ATOMIZATION AND REGULATED BURNING 0F LIQUID FUELS Filed Oct. 20. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J5 /Z V \T\ 4 My g I I Patented Ari 3L i926.

STATES FRANK W. ALSIP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM OF ATOMIZATION AND REGULATED BURNING OF LIQUID FUELS.

Application Specifically considered, the present invention may be regarded as relating to so-called oil-burning heating systems and to have for its object to simplify the same, cheapen them as to initial cost and upkeep, increase their efficiency, render them extremely reliable in operation, and enable them to be operated with a minimum expenditure of time.

In order to deliver the fuel in the proper condition for effective combustion, it must be distributed in a -finely divided state throughout a body of air needed to support combustion. Une of the features of my invention has to do with the atomizing and delivery of the liquid fuel and, in this aspect, my invention may be said to have for its object to produce an improved means for atomizing liquids and controlling the volume and direction of the resultant spray.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a very simple means for producing, regulating and stopping combustion of liquid fuels, to meet the requirements of the conditions encountered in the heating of dwellings, or the like.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel combustion chamber which, when placed in the fire box of a furnace, will insure etlicient combustion, an efiicient application of heat to the heating surfaces of the furnace, and provide means for giving up heat to such surfaces long after actual combustion has ceased.

' with the accompanying is a side elevation of my lII1- the present invention are to produce a sim lo and novel means, located wholly outside of a furnace, for delivering fuel to the latter in an atomized state and under such control that economy of fuel and efficiency of operation will re- Qther objects of suit without making use of fixed, restricted which are subject to orifices or passages the use of preheating clogging, and without means which causes carbon deposits to form.

The various featr'es of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but for a full'understanding of .my invention and of its objects and advantages reference may be had to the follow- ,ing detailed description taken in connection drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 proved apparatus applied to a furnace of which only a fragment is shown, the electric wiring being shown diagrammatically; Fig.

.N. V V

filed October 20, 1923. seri l No. 669,885.

2 is a vertical section taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fi 3 showing a different posit on of some 0 the parts than in Fig. 1; F g. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 IS a deta1l comprising a section taken approximately on line H of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 1S a diagram showing the condition in which the circuits are open and the supply of gas fpr the pilot light shut off; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, illustrating in full lines an intermediate condition, after the gas has been turned on for the pilot light, but before the motor circuit has been completed, and, in dotted lines, a final position of some of the arts; Fig. 7 is a central vertical section t rough a furnace equipped with my mproved combustion chamber; and Fig. 8 1s a section taken approximately on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Atomz'zatz'on of; lipwid 'lhe means shown for delivering t e iquid fuel, mixed in a finely divided state, with air to support combustion. consists of a fan or blower casing 1 within which is a rotatable fan element 2 driven by a suitable electric motor 3. The casing may be provided with central. inlets 4 and 5 at opposite sides, and it has a tangential discharge outlet 6 in comparatively large cross section. Fixed to the fan element is a disk 7 arranged at right angles to the axis of the fan, but larger in diameter than the body of the fan element.

Liquid fuel is placed on the'disk 7 and is thrown therefrom by centrifugal action. Such of the liquid as is discharged through the outlet 6 from the fan casing mingles Wlbli the airdischarged by the fan so that the fan actually discharges a mixture of air and finely divided fuel. The liquid fuel may be applied to the disk in any suitable way and in any desired quantities. In the arrangement shown the fan-is placed so that its axis will be horizontal, the dish revolving in a vertical plane in a housing 8 opening outwardly from the fan casing. The lowermost portion of this housing lies below the discharge outlet from the fan casing and forms a sump or well in which a supply of liquid fuel may be maintained; the lower marginal portion of the disk running in this liquid. The fan is run in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, and consequently the disk picks up oil from the sump or direction in the form of a spray. The location of the discharge outletfrom the'fan is such that the densest portion of the spray that is discharged from the disk enters this outlet; thus securing the highest degree of efliciency attainable with this type of device, for all of the sprayed oil that does not enter the discharge outlet must sim ly drop back into the Well, and the reater t e percentage of the oil discharged t rough the outlet the smaller will be the waste of the power con sumed in lifting and spraying the oil.

The fan casing may be attached to a fur nace or boiler so as to cause the outlet from the tan casing to communicate with the tire box in the latter. In the arrangement shown, the outlet conduit or pipe is hinged I along one edge at its free end, as indicated at 10, to a door or cover 11 which may be fastened over the door opening 12 in the boiler or furnace; the member 11 having therein a hole 13 in which the extreme outer end of the discharge conduit or pipe may loosely fit. The entire mechanism, including the fan and the motor, may be swung about the hinge 10 into an inoperative position, or it may be swung into an operative position as shown in the drawings, and be held in place by a suitable fastening device let between the member 6 and the door cover 11 on the opposite side of the member 6 from that on which the hinge is located. The member 6 is preferaby made flaring, increasing in widthfrom the inner toward the outer end, as best shown in Fig. 3. T have found that it is often very advantageous to place in the path of the liquid which is flung y from the rotating disk, a member against which the liquid will strikebetore leaving the discharge conduit. The fuel may leave the rotating disk in comparatively large drops, particularly when the diskis rotating at a; low speed; and, by providing an obstruction in the path of such drops, the lat ter will be broken up into minute particles and be scattered as they impinge on the 0bstruction, thereby causing the fuel to be carried onward by the air in an ideal condition :t'or combustion. The obstruction may conveniently take the form of a wire screen 15- of comparatively fine mesh extending entirely across the discharge conduit. Where a screen is used no drop of liquid larger than one of the perforations in the screen can pass through the latter and, furthermore, ignition of the mixture in the atomizing casing by a flame beyond the screen is prevent-ed.

The volume of the discharged mixture must be regulated to meet the varying re quirements of service. This can convenient- 1y be done by placing in the outlet conduit a gate or bafiie plate 16 by means of which the effective cross-sectional area of the dis-' charge outlet may be varied. In the'arouser rangement shown, the member 16 is in the form of a plate extending through the top wall of the discharge conduit and slidable in the vertical direction. When the plate is in the position shown in Fig. 2 it has reduced the effective cross sectional area of the discharge outlet to about one half its normal size. By raising the plate the effective area of the outlet may be increased and, by lowering the-plate such etlective area may be decreased. It will be seen that as the oncoming streams of air and liquid, or av mixture of the same, pass through the discharge conduit, a portion thereof will be intercepted by the plate and will therefore not pass into the combustion chamber within the boiler or furnace. The proportion of the whole that is intercepted depends upon the adjustment of the plate. The liquid portion of the mixture collects on the plate along the lower edge of which there may be placed a ledge 17 that will cause the liquid to flow laterally to one of the side walls of the conduit into azone of quiet, so as to permit such liquid to flow back again into the well or sump. By this means the rate at which a combustible mixture is discharged into the combustion chamber may be The sump or well may be kept full. of oil' to-a predetermined level by providing a suitable pump 18 actuated by suitable driving mechanism 19 mechanically connected with the fan motor; the pump delivering oil into the sump or well whenever the fan is running. The sump or well is provided with an overflow pipe 20 that may conveniently lead to the supply tank, not shown; thus permitting the fuel to be delivered by the pump in excess of the maximum rate of consumption and insuring that the sump or well will always be full to a predetermined level. because some fuel may constantly be overflowing at that level when the fan is running.

Automatic reguZatz'onr-ln most places where my invention will be employed it will be necessary to provide means for automatically controlling the starting and the stopping of the fan and toinsure that a comwhereby it will be impossible fonthe fan to' run when the igniting means for the combustible mixture is not operating properly. Any usual or suitable igniting means may be employed. In the arrangement shown, I

chamber by the atomizing mechanism. The 1 nozzle 24 is mounted on the end of a gas pipe 25 having therein a valve 20. r The electric notor is supplied with current from mains 27 and 28 through a switchindicaied as a whole at 29. The pilot light to which reference has just been made consumes considerable fuel while it is burning, so that it should be shut off whenever the fan stops running, namely, whenever the motor stops. Therefore the valve 26 and the switch 29 are preferably connected together so that whenever the switch is open the valve is closed, and vice versa. Since the main pilot light is intended to be extinguished from time to time, some means must be provided for lighting the main pilot light when the valve is opened. In the arrangement shown, there is a small pipe 30 connected to the gas pipe 25 at such a point that it will not be under the control of the valve, and having an open end extending into the chamber 22 below the end of the main pilot-light nozzle. It is intended that the gas imuing from the small pipe burn constantly, so that whenever the gas is turned on through the main nozzle. the mainpilot light will be ignited. It will thus be seen that the main pilot light may fail because of some condition surrounding i; U]. because the small pilot light or 0th.: ig-

niting means is not functioning; but, that if the motor is prevented from running except when the main pilot light is burning, flooding of the combustion chamber will be avoided. To this end I have placed in the motor circuit a second switclnindieated as a whole at 31; this switch being controlled by a thermostat having a part 32 extending into a position in which it is subjected to the heat of the flame of the main pilot light when the latter is burning, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The switch 31 is closed only when the thermostat is hot, being open at other times; so that the motor circuit cannot be closed or, if it has already been closed, cannot remain closed when the main pilot light is out. Where the primary ignition means is a small pilot light, the parts should be so arranged that the small amount of heat given off bythe latter will not affect the thermostatic switch. This can be accomplished by placing between the burner of the small pilot light and the member 32 of the thermostatic "switch a shield or plate 33 and arranging the member 32. so that it ,will enter --the chamber 22,=at an angle, as best-shown m F g. 4-. From an. examination of Figs. -2

and ,4 it will be seen that thesmallflame of the small pilot light can rise up from underneath the partition or baffle plate 33 directly in front of the main pilot-lightnozzle, without touching the member 32'; whereas, as soon as themainnpilot light is ignited, the

- large flame of the latter will envelop the end of the thermostatic member 32. Consequently the thermostatic switch in the motor circuit will remain open as long as the :main pilot light is out, will be closed only after the gas has been turned on and the pilot light ignited, and will again open if, for any reason, the pilot light is-extinguished.

In the arrangement shown,- the main motor switch 29 is actuated by a-lever 35 which is moved by an actuator 36 operatedjin any suitable way or by any-suitable motor as, for instance, a in response to -tempera-ture changes in a'room or dwelling that is being heated by the apparatus; and the controlling valve for the pilotlight is also actuated from this same lever through a connectingrod 37.

Assuming that the parts occupy the positionsshown in Fig.1 and diagrammatically in Fig. 5, when the apparatus is at rest, say when the temperature in the house to be heated is at the maximum, both switches being open and the valve 26 closed: Then'if the lever 35 is assumed to swing in the clockwise dircction as the temperature in the room to be heated falls, the lever will swing from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 6 when the temperature falls to a predetermined degree; this operation closing the main motor switch and opening the valve. If the small pilot light is now "'unctioning properly. the main pilot light will be ignited and, after a short interval, the thermostatic switch 31 will be closed. As soon as the thermostatic switch closes, the circuit of the motor is complete and the fan is driven to supply the combustible mixture. It will be seen that if for any reason the main pilot light isnot ignited, the motor circuit cannot be completed, and the user or operator must correct the condition that prevented ignition of the pilot light before fuel can be delivered to the combustion chamber. The main motor switch and the valve for the pilot light are preferably opened'and closed with a snap action, so that theywill not be affected by movements of "the actuating lever except when such lever reaches a predeterminedangular position in its movement in one direction or the other. whereupon the switch and the valve will be thrown quickly from one ex" ,trcme position to the other. After the mo tor has been started upon the completion 7 Fig. 5,

of its circuit, as heretofore explained, it continues to run until the controlling means for the actuating lever swings the latter back "approximately into the position shown in whereupon the motor'is'stopped and the main pilot-"light extinguished. Therefore, during normal operation, the motor circuit is always broken at the main switch,

scribed serve only ture that is delivered into the combustion chamber when the motor is running. 1 Automatic regulation of the volume of the combustible mixture may conveniently be obtained by automatically shifting the con-' trolling plate 16. Assuming that this controlling plate will drop by gravity to its lowermost position, when free to do so, then by connecting this plate in a suitable-manner with the actuating means switch, the plate-may be caused to rise and fall as such lever swings back and forth. In the arrangement shown, the plate 16 is hung on one end of a cable or other flexible member 38- passing over a pulley 39 and thenunderneath a pulley 40 arranged below one end of thelever 35, the end of the flexible member being attached to the lever.

The parts are so "proportioned that when trons indicated in Figs.

its lowermost posithey are in the pos1 1 and 5-, the plate is in tion, completely closing the fuel-delivery that may be stored in'the latter.

from enterthe heat As the arts move to the positions shown in full ines in Fig. 6. the plate is partially raised as shown in Fig. 2, thus permitting a portion of the combustible mixture to be is charged into the combustion chamber. It may be that sufiicient heat will be produced without fully opening the discharge conduit and that therefore the controlling plate need not be raised to its extreme upperposition or even above the position shown in Fig. 2, namely, the position which permits the passage of the smallest amount of combustible mixture that can be efiiciently delivered. On the other hand, it will at times be necessary to open the discharge conduit to the fullest extent and, at other times, it will be desirable to secure an efiiective opening in the conduit greater than that shown conduit 6, preventing cold air ing the fire box and conserving in Fig. 2 and less than the full cross-sectionfor the main a1 area of'the conduit. I have therefore provided means whereby the actuator 36 may raise and lower the controlling plate between the in dotted lines in 6. Hung on the actuator is an arm or link 43 having on its free.-

lower end a roller 44 that underlies that part of the cable 38 extending between the pulleys 39 and 40. The parts are so proportioned that when they are. in the positions indicated in Fig. 5, the roller 44 lies a considerable distance below the cable and is gradually raised, as the positions shown in Fig. 6 are approached, until it is in proxirmty to the cable. Then, as the actuator moves from the full-line position in Fig; 6 to the dotted-line position, that part of the cable between the pulleys 39 and 40 is flexed, causing the controlling plate to be raised. As the actuator swings back and forth between the two positions indicated inFig. 6, the controlling plate is raised and lowered, regulating the delivery of combustible mixture. 1

The lost motion between the actuator and the lever 35 also constitutes part of a snap action which causes the main switch and the valve for the pilot light to be quickly thrown in one direction or the other when the lever reaches a predetermined angular position. There is a spring 45 applied to the lever-in such a manner that after thelever has been carried past a dead center in either direction through the engagement of'the actuator with one of the stop pins, the spring will snap the lever past center; this snapping of the lever being permitted by the lost motion between the same and the actuator.

Combustion chamber.'In cases where oilburning appliances are applied to hot air furnaces, steam boilers or hot-water boilers designed to burn hard fuel, the combustion chambers will ordinarily not be so designed as to produce the most efficient results in connection with the burning ofv oil. One ofthe features of my invention has to do with a simple and novel construction and arrangement to be placed in such combustion chambers for the purpose of securing eflicient combustion and an eflicient interchange of heat between the flame and combustion gases and the heating surfaces of the furnaces or position shown in Fig. 2 and its hlghest position without affecting the motor 42,42 fixed to the lever 35 and boilers, and, providing a reserve supply of heat available fora considerable time after the flame has been extinguished. This feature of my invention is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. Referring to these figures, indicates a tunnel preferably constructed of fire brick or of vitreous or semi-vitreous material extending horizontally into the'combus tion chamberbl from the outlet end of the discharge conduit 6 of which it forms a con-r illustrated only a single preferred embodiment of my lnvention and, for the sake of tinuation; the tunnel increasing gradually in width from its outer toward its inner end.

The inner end of the tunnel lies above and communicates with the top of a shell 52, of suitable vitreous or semi-vitreous material, open at the top and at the bottom, this shell being smaller inits external transverse di mensions than the main combustion chainber. The extreme inner end of the tunnel is closed by a curved fwall53 which acts as a deflector to guide the flamedown into the shell. 1f the shell is cylindrical in form it' may convenientlybe' divided along vertical planes into four similar sections and the deflecting wall 53 may be-madeinte'rchangeable with such sections-thus reducing the number of special shapesfirequired. The shell is supported upon'four blocks or bricks 54 standing on edge fonthe grate 55 and placed radially shell is arranged a checker" work which may consist of a plurality of small bricks 56 standing-on edge on topof the bricks 54,

I together-with othersmall bricks 57 standing inwardly through the tunnel it does not come I, in direct contact with the walls of the'main combustion chamber, and neither does it as it passes down through the'shell around and I past the bricks 56 and '57 {but only. afterthe on-ed'ge upon and extending crosswise of'the bricks56.-' vIt will be seen, that as the flame travels flame has traveled down past the bricks 54 and with the hot gaseous product of combus-- tion has passed-laterally into the main com. bustion chamber, is there any direct con-..

i heating surfaces :of the furnace or boiler."

tact of the fluid-heating medium with the It will alsocbe seenthat the first contact of the hot fluids is with 'theilowermost portions of the heating surfaces, so that, since the hot uses rise and engage with the heatingsun. aces 111' the upper regions, every portionof the heating surface of the furnace or .boiler is effectivelyused. When the burner "is [first lighted, the deflecting walls of the auxiliary combustion chamber may be cold, but they soon become intensely hot so that any unconsumed portion of the combustible mixture that impinges on any of the hot surfaces in passingthrough the auxiliary combustion chamber will be heated oftheshell at angles of ninety degrees to each other." Within the to such a degree by such surfaces that comlete combustion will follow. It will also e seen that since the mass of the material employed in the construction of the auxiliary combustion chamber is considerable, it will absorb a large amount of heat which.

it is able to interchange with the heating surfaces of the furnace or boiler after combustion has ceased, so that the furnace or boiler will deliver heat for a long after the burner hasbeen shut off.

Although, for the sake of brev1ty, I have clarity. have described the details of construction of such embodiment with considerable particularity, itlwill of course be unthe general forms may be widely yaried without'departing from the principle of my invention. The general formsand the details of construction, illustrated and de-' scribed, are intendedrather as illustrative examples than as limits or boundaries of my invention; and I intend to cover all forms derstood that the structural details and even.

and arrangements that come within the defi-' nitions of my invention constituting the appended claims. I claim:.

1. In combination, a blower comprising a normal liquid level in said well, a member on said rotating element adaptedto dip into liquid in the well and throw it in a more or less divided state into said discharge conduit, and means for intercepting a portion of theliquid entering the conduit andv returning it to'the well. I

2. In combination, a blower comprising a casing and a rotating element, said casinghavi-ng in. the bottom a. well for containing a liquid, there being a discharge conduit leading from the casing somewhat above the normal liquid level in said well, ajmember on. said rotating element adapted to dip into liquid in the well and throw it in a more nor less divided state into said discharge conduit, land an adjustable baflle plate extendingacross the conduit to intercept any desired portion of the stream passing through the latter and causing the liquid contained'in said intercepted portion to return to the well. i

3. In combination, a combustion chamber. a fuel-delive conduit connected to said chamber, a ba e plate extending across the conduit and movableto vary'the elfec- 'tive' cross-sectional area of the conduit,

means including a'n electric motor for forcing a mixture of air and liquid in a more or less divided state through said conduit into said chamber, a main controlling switch for said motor, a secondary controlling switch for said motor, an igniting device; means for closing said main switch and causing said igniting device to function and thereafter moving said baflle plate without affecting said main switch or said igniting device; and means governed by heat generated by said igniting device for controlling said secondary switch.

4. In combination, a blower comprising a casing and a rotatable element, the casing having an inlet at the axis of rotation of said rotatable element and a comparatively narrow outlet conduit lying'outwardly of and parallel to atangent to the periphery of said rotatable element, a part movable with said rotatable element and adapted to throw off by centrifugal force liquid that may adhere thereto, and means'for causing liquid to adhere to said part at such a point in its movement that the greater portion of the liquid is discharged into rection of the length of said conduit.

5. In combination, a blower comprising a casing and a rotatable element, the casing having an inlet and an outlet conduit extending approximately tangentially to the periphery of said rotatable element, a part and in the di- -uid discharged from movable with said rotatable element and adapted to throw off by centrifugal force liquid that may adhere thereto, means for causing liquid to adhere to said part at such a point in its movement that the greater portion of the liquid is discharged into and in the direction of the length of said conduit, and a member in the path of said liquid to cause the liquid to be comminuted and scattered by impinging on said member.

6. In combination, a blower comprising a casing and a rotatable element within the same, the casing having an inlet at the axis of rotation of said rotatable element and an outlet conduit extending approximately tangentially of said rotatable element, a

disk fixed to and concentric with said rotatable element, means for applying liquid to said disk at such a point in its rotation that the greater portion thereof is discharged by centrifugal force into and lengthwise of said conduit and means in the path of said liqthe disc to cause it to be comminuted and scattered.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification. a

"FRANK w. ALSIP. 

